Saturday, January 16, 2010

When coming up with a name for this card creation for my brother-in-law’s 50th birthday, I thought it would be humorous to poke a little fun at being archaic at the age of 50. This card utilizes the faux fossil technique using reinkers, glossy stock and rubbing alcohol so it just made sense to call the card Fossilized 50th Birthday. The numbers are from an older Inque Boutique set, Shari Numbers, which is a favorite of mine to use for momentous birthdays. The Stampin' Up! verse on the inside is another personal favorite for birthday wishes! Hope these ideas inspire a great card idea for a special birthday recipient.

Friday, January 15, 2010

Just had to share some fun photos from our holiday trip to Philly, right as the big 23" snow storm hit the northeast. We looked liked the Grizwald's with a trunk that looked like a Jenga game, but Dan insisted on taking his all wheel drive car even though my trunk is bigger. Dare you pull anything out, it might fall on your head. {you will see in the pictures} Try not to laugh too hard at these Floridians who tried to pack lightly while knowing that we were about to enter the frozen zone, which by our standards is anything over 50 degrees! LOL!!!

{the snow photos are from our Dunkin Donuts detour in Virginia after driving 16 straight hours and hitting unplowed roads in Fredericksburg- and yes, Dan was smart to insist on us taking his car. We passed many 2 wheel drive SUVs stuck on the side of the road. Fortunately from Washington to Philly the roads were plowed.}

Did I forget to mention that we brought the dog along? This was Bella's first long road trip and she aced it with the help of Kai's chenille pillow spanning the leg area in the back seat! Princess Bella lounged across the back seat dining on Chic-fil-A wraps, waffle fries and ice chips (of course she grubbed my dinner!) There was no avoiding it, and once you see some of the photos you will understand how I couldn't resist her begging. I have some more hilarious shots from this adventure, but I am saving some of those for scrapbook layouts!

{You know what happens when you are cooped up in a car too long...you get a little loopy! The girls gave Bella hairdos and dressed her in the hat Kylie wore most of the roadtrip. I think Bella arrived the only one well rested. Dan drove the whole way with no sleep! He is a true road warrior.}

Nineteen hours after leaving home, we arrived at our destination, my sister’s house in Ardmore, PA to a blanket of white snow and a huge family welcome from my sister, brother-in-law, niece and parents. We only slept a few hours that day, but I think it took me until Christmas Day to truly wake up!

It only took 17 hours driving straight through to make it home, and I could barely keep my eyes open, but as we were just a few exits from home, the sun rose...what a welcome sight and a perfect ending to an awesome trip!

{For about 3 days following our trip, my DH was experiencing caffeine detox from all the coffee he drank to stay awake. Just another tale from the adventures of our life. Belate Happy New Year wishes to all!}

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Photography Tip: How to Make Them Forget About The Camera

Usually when someone shoots photos, they wait until the end to do the silly outtake shots. My secret is to do them first. This can lighten the mood, loosen up your subjects and make them relax more...all leading to them forgetting about the camera. This also allows you to dial in your settings while they are still playing. This can definitely be a strategy for shooting young kids. Let them play a bit and get familiar with you before you point this big scary lens at them.